Obviously stationery is an obsession of mine, but so too is the décor that best suits it. A while back I got an email from Joey Azman, founder of Growme Melbourne, which, yes, hails from Australia, about her fantastic Moodyboards.
What is a Moodyboard you ask? Well, anything you want it to be. These magnetic, writable boards highlight whatever you want — and even incorporates a shelf to add depth to your ever-changing vignette.
Moodyboard just officially launched in America at Dormify in six colors — and while college students are lucky to have this tool to personalize their rather institutional living spaces, I don’t think it should be limited to that segment! Whether your tastes run to minimalism or maximalism, these dress any space and offset any mindset, as you like it.
I interviewed Joey to learn more about Moodyboard’s origins, and her future plans.
SS: What was your inspiration for the Moodyboard?
JA: The Moodyboard was born out of a personal need of mine while working remotely pre-covid times, when working from home was pretty much unheard of! I was working in a remote part of Australia due to my husband’s work, he was undertaking his surgical training and we had to move every six months over a two-year period, which was very interesting with a six-month-old in tow!
However, that experience led me to creating this much loved product! While working at our hospital accommodation, I couldn’t help but feel uninspired by the surroundings. I desperately wanted a simple and beautiful board to pin up my goals and deadlines to stay focussed at my desk. You know how it is, so many distractions while working from home! Additionally, I love having inspirational quotes and pictures of loved ones for that extra motivation. So I trawled the internet and couldn’t find anything stylish online, but being an architect, I decided to just design one for myself.
Then, the pandemic struck, and it became evident that many others could benefit from this product too. So, we decided to manufacture a small batch, and I’m incredibly proud to say that we’ve been able to help many families with their work-from-home and home-school setups during this challenging time. So if you have an idea, go for it! You never know where your passion project could take you!
SS: What has been the most original usage you have seen?
JA: The Moodyboards have always been designed as a focus tool for the home office, but when a customer who also happened to be a director of a private hospital emailed us to order our boards as patient information boards for her hospital, I was floored. So grateful for the opportunity to have our Moodyboards bring colour and life into clinical spaces while being functional! You never know who will end up loving your products!
SS: Do you have your own set up in your home? What does it look like?
JA: Of course I do! I have a white one as it’s like a clean slate when doing design work. I change up how I use it to suit what I’m focussing on at the time. When I’m designing new products, often I have colour swatches and drawings printed and pinned up and we have a ‘crit’ around the board to discuss the design and functionality of the product. But currently I have my 90-day goals written on it, with specific targets that I plan to achieve. It really does help when it’s right there everyday to remind you of the big picture and helps me stay focussed. Having those goals in a manageable chunk of time also makes it more achievable!
SS: Tell me about your American expansion.
JA: I’ve always dreamed of expanding to the land of opportunity — USA! The idea felt far-fetched, but when Dormify approached us, it was an incredible opportunity that we couldn’t pass up. It came at the perfect time as we were ready to invest in warehousing overseas. We’re truly grateful and humbled to be in the USA, and we hope to connect with more design-oriented people and make a positive impact.
For now, you can shop the Moody Board and its accessories on Dormify here. Or, shop it on its official site, which will automatically update to suit your geolocation. Want to shop Moodyboard wholesale? Head to its Faire shop.
Joey asked me to note that she is always open to collaborations and new projects. Give her a shout at hello@growmemelb.com, and be sure to tell her that Sarah sent you!
